Photo: American Oystercatcher, Robert Blanchart/Audubon Photography Awards
ASNV, National Audubon Society and the other five Audubon chapters in Virginia have submitted a letter to the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries (DGIF) supporting a discussion draft of regulations to implement Migratory Bird Treaty Act (MBTA) protections for birds in Virginia. The regulations are necessary because the Trump administration has upended decades of protection for birds by reinterpreting the MBTA to not protect birds from “incidental take,” or unintentional harm, resulting from development activity.
The DGIF’s discussion draft of the regulations would, if implemented, make Virginia the nationwide leader in offering state-wide protection to migratory birds. The regulations would create a permitting process for incidental take of birds and also require the mitigation of habitat loss associated with development.
ASNV drafted a letter supporting the proposed regulations and a markup of the proposed regulatory language with input from the National Audubon Society. ASNV also solicited the support of the Cape Henry, Northern Neck of Virginia, North Shenandoah Valley, Richmond and Virginia Beach chapters of the National Audubon Society. All five chapters and National Audubon Society joined ASNV in signing the letter, which you can read here.
The National Audubon Society is scheduling an on-line meeting with ASNV and DGIF officials to discuss how we can best support the development of the regulations.